1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to material transportation devices and, more particularly, to a material transportation device that is designed for attachment to the back of an automobile seat and that is capable of being biased between open and closed positions.
2. Description of the Invention Background
Through respiratorial disease, birth defect or other malady, numerous citizens of the United States and people throughout the world are dependent upon readily and constantly available sources of personal oxygen for their daily existence. Providing such a source of oxygen that is both effective in meeting the daily consumption needs of the user, efficient in its mode of transport and storage and safe in its operation has long been the challenge faced by purveyors of personal oxygen tank systems. As the general population grows more mobile, the need for such transportation systems continues to become even more pronounced.
Transportation systems of various design have been developed to aide in meeting the needs of those in need of personal oxygen systems. However, such systems are generally directed toward needs of the user when they are traveling under their own power. Carriers tailored to the needs of specific situations, in particular traveling in an automobile, have not received such emphasis. As a result, regardless of the particular needs of the user in a given situation, the carrier available to fill those needs is generally the same. Thus, in attempting to serve the universal needs of the user, existing carrier systems are deficient in certain scenarios.
In particular, existing systems are not well suited to effective use within an automobile. In general, while traveling within an automobile, for safety reasons, the carrier is required to hold the oxygen system securely in place and out of the way of the driver and passengers of the automobile. For convenience, the carrier should also be as unobtrusive as possible to the passengers and driver within the automobile by occupying as little space as possible both when in use and when in place awaiting use. Existing carriers, while meeting some of these objectives, have proven woefully inadequate at consistently meeting all of them.
When traveling in an automobile, existing carriers generally do not provide for safe and efficient storage of the tank system. Instead, the oxygen tank must often be laid on the seat beside the user. In such a position, the tank occupies space on the seat in the passenger compartment of the automobile that would otherwise be available for use by passengers. In addition, because the tank is generally not secured to any solid object, the potential exists for the tank to become a lethal projectile in the event of an automobile accident of even an abrupt stop.
In addition, retrofitting or adapting existing carrier systems that were not originally designed for use with personal oxygen tank systems has largely proven to be a fruitless effort. Personal oxygen systems are required to remain upright during use to prevent the nozzle on the system from freezing during use. Adequate venting is also required to provide for sufficient dissipation of any freezing temperatures that do develop around the nozzle area. Such needs are critical to the successful functioning of a personal oxygen system. When the personal oxygen system ceases to function, the supply of oxygen also ceases. Without such a supply of oxygen the user may become incapacitated and die. Leaving such a situation to chance by using a retrofitted carrier for use as a personal oxygen system carrier is thus quite undesirable. As such, a system specifically designed to meet the transportation needs of the personal oxygen system is required.
It is therefore desirable for a carrier provide for efficient and safe transport of a personal oxygen tank with the passenger compartment of an automobile, such that the tank may be operated by the user during transport.